A CORONER says the mystery owner of a dog which caused the death of a teenager in a road smash could have faced police action.

Cheshire coroner Nicholas Rheinberg spoke to The Chronicle this week after ruling that the death of Malpas teenager Jamie Davies was caused by an accident.

The 17-year-old was walking to his home in Malpas at 9pm on Friday, September 27, last year when he was hit by a Ford Fiesta driven by his 18-year-old friend Ben Corbett.

Mr Rheinberg says the car only swerved after the driver saw a black labrador run into Chester Road. The dog was later found dead near the scene.

Mr Corbett, who lives with his parents Paul and Diane in Broselake Farm, Greenway Lane, Malpas, was driving out of the village at the time of the crash. Jamie was walking to his home in Oathills.

Mr Rheinberg says a thorough police investigation took place after the incident, which found that Ben Corbett was not speeding. A toxicology test revealed that he did not have alcohol in his system at the time of the incident.

An inquest into Jamie Davies's death was held in Chester last Wednesday.

After the hearing Mr Rheinberg said: 'Jamie Davies was playing pool with his friends before the incident and left for home early, after telling them he had a driving lesson the next day.'

But, as he made his way home along Chester Road, walking on the pavement, Ben Corbett was driving out of Malpas.

'As he came to the cemetery the driver saw a black labrador dog race out in front of him,' said Mr Rheinberg.

'He swerved to avoid the dog, which sent the car out of control. The car struck the deceased as he was walking along the pavement.

'The car then continued along the road and went through a gateway. The car overturned and ended up on its roof in a farmer's field.

'The driver went over to the deceased and turned him over. He then realised it was his friend. He was in a terrible state.'

Though Mr Corbett was not badly hurt, Jamie sustained serious head injuries.

Mr Rheinberg says the dead labrador was later found at the scene, but did not have a collar around its neck.

'The police made extensive inquiries,' he said. 'The dog did not have a collar on and the owner was never found. They have presumably kept quiet.

'There is an offence for allowing a dog to roam free. I expect in this case there would have been a caution.'

Minutes after the crash, Jamie Davies's parents arrived at the scene and tried in vain to resuscitate their son, who later died in the Countess of Chester hospital.

Months after the crash bosses at the Crown Prosecution Service in Chester said they would not be prosecuting Ben Corbett.

Mr Rheinberg added: 'The incident was caused by a terrible coincidence of circumstances.

'The family [of Jamie Davies] were extremely dignified at the inquest and made it clear they did not want the driver attacked in any way.

'The dog ran out of an opening. The driver saw someone before he hit him. For a second he had an awful thought it was his friend.'